Children in The Square, Palmerston North, 1920. Photo / Frank Duncan Co., Auckland
Children in The Square, Palmerston North, 1920. Photo / Frank Duncan Co., Auckland
The Palmerston North Heritage Trust is running a local history symposium, Telling Our Stories, in July.
Palmerston North's history isn't just about words on paper – it's also played out on the landscape, in photographs, in museum objects and in people's memories. It can be told in creative forms, andorally. And it is about to be taught more comprehensively to primary school children than ever before.
The heritage trust is calling on all local historians – and aspiring historians, and those simply interested in our area – to attend the July 8-10 symposium, which will consider all these ways of doing history.
Starting with a visit to Te Rangimarie Marae at Rangiotū from 4pm on July 8, the symposium will on July 9 examine the various ways of telling stories about Palmerston North's past. A session on teaching our stories on the morning of July 10 will consider local history in the proposed primary school history syllabus. Family stories and the ways in which these can be shared will be the theme of an afternoon session on the same day.
At 5.30pm on July 9 a public lecture will be given by Professor Linda Bryder, from the Auckland History Initiative, with a commentary by Dr Geoff Watson. The topic will be Big Smokes? The history of the metropolis vs a provincial centre.
Heritage trust chairwoman Margaret Tennant says after the success of the co-edited book City at the Centre: a history of Palmerston North, which was published in 2020, her group felt it was time to celebrate Palmerston North's history and the multiple ways in which we can learn about the past and share our findings.
Everyone is welcome to attend all or part of the symposium, but registration is encouraged for catering purposes. For further information, a copy of the programme and a link to registration, email Margaret Tennant at matennant@xtra.co.nz.
The Details What: Telling Our Stories: Palmerston North History Symposium When: July 8-10 Where: Various venues. Tickets: Free but you need to register.
